Stephenville 48, Lubbock-Cooper 7
Trot Jordan threw for 248 yards and three scores and Zyler McClendon rushed for 65 yards and two more scores to keep Stephenville (3-0) unbeaten.
Lubbock-Cooper dropped to 0-3.
DISTRICT 5-4A DII WEEK 3 REPORT: Glen Rose rebounds; Kemp earns first win
Glen Rose 19, Godley 7
Judd Connally threw for 200 yards and two scores to lead Glen Rose past Godley (0-3).
Coming off a tough loss to Gatesville, the Tigers (2-1) recaptured their momentum by holding Godley to 237 yards in total offense.
DISTRICT 3-3A DI WEEK 3 REPORT: Wall, Early, Ingram Moore stay unbeaten; Llano loses first game
Wall 49, Jim Ned 13 — Gunner King passed for 312 yards and two touchdowns, and Gunner Garza ran for 78 yards and three scores and added a 65-yard reception to lead the Hawks to a thorough win over the Indians.
Hudson Surber also contributed to the win, catching six passes for 140 yards and two TDs, as fifth-ranked Wall (3-0) raced out to a 28-13 halftime lead before shutting Jim Ned out in the second half.
DISTRICT 13-4A DII WEEK 3 REPORT: Brownwood falls as Springtown pulls a stunner
Springtown 54, Brownwood 6 — Brownwood was outgained 519-149 in a rough night for the Lions.
Kaine Hill rushed for 122 yards and two scores and threw for 217 and another TD as Springtown (1-2) earned its first win of the year.
Brownwood dropped to 1-2.
DISTRICT 4-3A DII WEEK 3 REPORT: Merkel, Jacksboro, Henrietta land in the win column
Merkel 53, Colorado City 27 — The Badgers (1-2) collected their first win of the season behind Easton “Moose” Malone’s 218 yards passing and two scores.
Malone also rushed for 80 yards and three scores; Kayden Diaz added 68 yards rushing and two more TDs.
DISTRICT 4-4A DII WEEK 3 REPORT: Mineral Wells, Graham stay unbeaten; Brock cruises past Midland Christian
Mineral Wells 41, Andrews 7 — Jordan Johnson ran for 146 yards and three touchdowns, and Javon Johnson passed for 193 yards and a score to fuel the Rams to blowout win over the Mustangs.
Mineral Wells, which improve to 3-0 with the win, ran for 302 of its 494 yards, also getting a big rushing day from Aleck Gonzales (14-111, 1 TD), while Barron Burkhall received for 123 yards and a score.
Hico 56, Moody 7 — Tyler Rainwater threw for 212 yards and two scores and rushed for 221 yards and two more TDs as Hico had an easy time with Moody. 
DISTRICT 2-4A DII WEEK 3 REPORT: Big Spring, Snyder fall again as league goes 2-4
Sweetwater 42, Big Spring 21 — The Mustangs were too much for the Steers, increasing a 28-7 halftime lead to 35 points in the fourth quarter before settling for a three-touchdown win.
Big Spring, which fell to 0-3, ran for just 23 yards in the loss, getting a team high 30 yards and one TD from Jaylen Cooper. Javon Jackson added 141 yards and two TDs through the air — both to Jaydan Thomas, who caught 10 passes for 136 yards.
Sweetwater 42, Big Spring 21 — The Mustangs (1-2) notched their first win of the season after racing out to a 28-7 lead. 
DISTRICT 7-2A DII WEEK 3 REPORT: Goldthwaite, Hamlin both notch wins
Goldthwaite 35, San Saba 17 — The Armadillos came to play against their heavily favored archrivals and held a 10-7 lead after one quarter.
But after Goldthwaite took command with a pair of second-quarter touchdowns, the Eagles maintained the upper hand for the rest of the evening.
Goldthwaite improved to 3-0; San Saba fell to 1-2.
GAME REPORT: Cooper spoils San Angelo Central’s homecoming with thrilling 28-21 win
SAN ANGELO — The Cooper football team rallied past San Angelo Central for a thrilling 28-21 win Friday at San Angelo Stadium, earning Scott Stewart his first win as a head coach in the process.
The Cougars overcame first-half deficits of 7-0, 14-7 and 21-14 in the victory, outscoring the Bobcats 14-0 over the final two quarters to improve to 1-2.
Cooper, which had outgained each of its first two opponents handily in one-score losses, was outpaced 402 yards to 347 on Friday. But the Coogs defense buckled down when it needed to most, helping facilitate the win with a second-half shutout.
GAME REPORT: Wylie holds off late rally to down Wolfforth Frenship 28-21
Photos by Mark Rogers, HubCityPreps.com
WOLFFORTH — The Wylie football team dominated Wolfforth Frenship for 3½ quarters Friday, but a late Tiger rally left the Bulldogs holding on for dear life in the closing minutes of a 28-21 victory.
Trailing 28-0 entering the fourth quarter, Frenship scored three touchdowns in the final four minutes to pull within seven before WHS was finally able to close out the win to improve to 2-1.
Wylie lost the turnover battle 3-1 and gave up an onside kick return that allowed the Tigers to score two touchdowns in the span of 19 seconds. But huge days from quarterback Jadin Karleskint (25-21-1—327, 3 TDs passing) and receiver Blaze Ruffin (6-123, 3 TDs receiving) provided the Bulldogs with a big enough cushion to hang on for their second consecutive victory.
GAME STORY: Odessa Permian scores late to hold off feisty Abilene High squad 41-29
Abilene High never led in a 41-29 loss to Odessa Permian on Friday at Shotwell Stadium. But the Eagles also never went away despite falling behind by two scores on five occasions — the first at 14-0 just seconds into the second quarter.
After the game, it was the latter fact that had AHS coach Mike Fullen feeling pretty good about his team as it prepares for an open date next week and the start of District 2-5A Division I play in Week 5.
Despite holding a lead from the 6:17 mark of the first quarter onward and extending a 24-13 halftime advantage to 34-20 on a touchdown with just under 10 minutes to play, the Panthers couldn’t put the Eagles away until the game’s final minutes, when Kayden Vickers hit Zephaniah Deleon behind the Warbirds defense for a 13-yard touchdown pass on a critical third-and-10 play.
Before that, AHS had used a safety and a 53-yard scoring pass from Tristan Beal to John Rangel to pull within five points (34-29), putting late-game pressure on a Permian squad that hasn’t felt much during a 3-0 start.
GAME STORY: Unbeaten De Leon passes major test, beating No. 6 Albany 42-7
DE LEON — The general thinking was we’d find out how good a football team the unbeaten De Leon Bearcats were when they played the tradition-rich Albany Lions on Friday night.
This just in. The Bearcats are good. Really good.
Lane Couch rushed for 215 yards and three touchdowns, quarterback Hud Price passed for two TDs, and De Leon’s defense continued to shut down opponents as the Bearcats beat the Albany Lions 42-7 at Bearcat Field.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Haskell rallies from two-score deficit in fourth quarter to edge Santo in Big Country classic
SANTO — Imagine an early September non-district game that was so intense, so emotional, that there were tears shed by multiple players in its aftermath.
As multiple Santo players wept following a 44-42 loss to Haskell in the Big Country Preps Game of the Week, a group of jubilant Indians were dumping a cooler of ice water on the head of Haskell coach Creighton Henderson — almost as if their victory had come in Arlington instead of at W.A. Lewis Field.
But following a game that had produced six lead changes to go with a third-quarter tie, the emotional scene seemed to fit the circumstances, though nothing was really gained or lost prior to the onset of district play.
Haskell’s Haegen Pinkerton, who has already won the Big Country Preps Player of the Week award twice this season, again put in a huge performance with 217 yards rushing, 157 yards passing and a direct hand in five touchdowns to lead Haskell (2-1) which entered Friday’s game with a slight chip on its shoulder.
GAME STORY: Wilson, defense power Early to shutout win over Ballinger on homecoming
EARLY — Ballinger head coach Bryan Gayoso and Early head coach Marvin Wilson have been friends for as long as they can remember and have even spent time working on the same coaching staffs as each other.
Friday night at Longhorn Stadium, the two faced off against each other as head coaches for the first time.
By the time the dust settled on the Longhorns’ homecoming, Early had laid claim to a 34-0 win and improved to 3-0 for the first time in five years while the Bearcats fell to 2-1.
Both coaches relished the opportunity to match wits with one another.
FEATURE: Veteran Abilene High linebacking corps a driving force behind early defensive success
Starting the year with six new starters on defense, Abilene High coach Mike Fullen knew there’d be a learning curve for that unit.
But with three of the five returners in his signature 3-4 scheme being senior linebackers, the coach also knew his defense was starting its building process on a strong foundation.
In inside linebackers Skyler Faimoa and Symmani Strahan and outside backer Levon Koonce, the Eagles have a trio of veteran playmakers with an abundance of varsity experience and a track record of production in the AHS scheme. Add in junior outside backer Jud Williamson, the son of defensive coordinator James Williamson, and you have one of the better linebacking corps in West Texas.
Big Country Preps’ Pick ‘Em Panel (Week 3)
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we’ll post our picks for all of that week’s 11-man games and select six-man games, in addition to the results of our weekly fan polls for each matchup.
Disagree with our picks or the fan poll consensus? Let us know in the comments section below.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS GAME OF THE WEEK: Unbeaten Santo to face one of the area’s top weapons (w/ Evan Ren’s Big Country picks)
LAST WEEK: 55-15, .785
SEASON TOTAL: 110-34, .763
Out Big Country Preps Game of the Week pairs what might be the area’s most improved team (Santo, 2-0) against one its top offensive weapons in Haskell QB Haegen Pinkerton, who with 544 yards rushing and 434 yards passing, has already won our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award twice this season.
The Indians are a modest 1-1 on the year, but have already put up 124 points with Pinkerton accounting for 978 yards in total offense. Nonetheless, Santo has allowed just 13 total points in wins over Chilton and Dublin, and if they get their flexbone offense rolling, can effectively keep Pinkerton and company off of the field.
That, will be the key element in keeping the Indians at bay, but Pinkerton will get his share of big plays.
Regardless, the Wildcats will get the higher number of defensive stops and improve to 3-0.
PICK: Santo by 10
MIKE LEE’S WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Rigdon still making plays in college for Arizona State
NOTE: If you know of a former Big Country Prep athlete now performing in college or professional sports, contact Mike Lee at michaellee7@att.net.
Grayson Rigdon is listed as the No. 3 running back on the Arizona State football depth chart, but the former Strawn-Benjamin High School player scored two long-distance touchdowns in the Sun Devils’ 70-7 season-opening win over Morgan State last Saturday.
The 5-foot-11 sophomore scored on receptions of 54 and 56 yards. On both touchdowns, quarterback Cutter Boley threw to Rigdon coming out of the backfield, and he used his running skills to turn the short receptions into long touchdowns.
Rigdon’s first touchdown extended ASU’s lead to 35-7 early in the second quarter. His second score made it 56-7 early in the third quarter.
In addition to the two receptions for 110 yards, Rigdon finished Saturday’s game with four carries for 22 yards rushing and one kickoff return for 18 yards.
The Sun Devils play at No. 10-ranked Texas A&M at 11 a.m. Saturday on ABC-TV.
As an ASU freshman last season, Rigdon played on special teams in six games. He also had two carries and one reception in the Sun Devils’ Sun Bowl loss to Duke.
GAME STORY: Abilene High volleyball struggles to find rhythm in home loss to Midland Lee
With two weeks to go before the start of District 4-5A play, the Abilene High volleyball team hosted an old Little Southwest Conference rival Tuesday, falling to the MIdland Lee Lady Rebels 25-22, 25-5, 25-15 at Eagle Gym.
The Lady Eagles dug out of an early hole to take a 22-20 lead in the opening game, but a 5-0 Lee run out of a timeout sent the momentum to the visitors side and it never shifted back in a tough match for the home team.
The loss dropped AHS to 15-13 on the year with three nondistrict matches to play before it opens its league schedule with a home match against Wichita Falls Memorial on Sept. 22.
SIX-MAN REWIND: Water Valley-Rankin, Strawn-May headline wild week of action
Week 2 is in the books, and what a week it was for area six-man football. With a thrilling win by Water Valley over top-ranked Rankin and a two-point Strawn victory over May serving as co-main events, the week’s slate more than delivered on what was promised going in.
It’s time now to take a closer look at the six-man landscape, with a focus on the biggest developments and most outstanding individual performances seen last week.
We hope you enjoy this look back in our weekly “Big Country Rewind” column and encourage you to check out our Six-Man/Class 1A Central page when you’ve finished reading for more information on your favorite team(s).
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Pinkerton takes his second award in as many weeks
We prefer to not have the same athlete win our Big Country Preps Player of the Week award in successive weeks, given that it is our aim to share the love. But every now and then, the numbers simply make that impossible.
So here we have it: Haskell’s Haegen Pinkerton has won our accolade twice in as many weeks, and deservedly so after leading the Indians to a 62-44 win at Bangs on Friday.
WEEK 3 FAN POLLS … Pick this week’s 11-man winners!
Each week here at Big Country Preps, we offer fans the chance to pick the winners of all games involving our local and area football teams. The results of these weekly polls, which will close at 5 p.m. each Thursday, will be included in our weekly Pick ‘Em Panel.
Here are the games for Week 3:
PHOTO GALLERY: De Leon-Stamford football (50 images)
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PHOTO GALLERY: Coleman-Odessa High JV football (63 images)
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DISTRICT 2-5A DII WEEK 2 REPORT: Wylie blasts Monterey, Cooper falls to AHS as district goes 4-3
Photos by Susanna Jackson, HubCityPreps.com
Wylie 49, Lubbock Monterey 3 — Jadin Karleskint passed for 252 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs to a runaway win over the Plainsmen.
Blaze Ruffin (4-124, 3 TDs) and Jackston Williams (4-108, 1 TD) both eclipsed the 100-yard receiving mark in the win, which saw the Bulldogs explode for 42 unanswered points in the first half.
DISTRICT 2-5A DI WEEK 2 REPORT: Abilene High, Tascosa gut out wins as league struggles to 2-6 record
Abilene High 14, Cooper 6 — Tristan Beal hit John Rangel with a pair of touchdown passes, and that was all the offense the Eagles needed to claim their fifth straight Crosstown Showdown win thanks to an opportunistic performance by the AHS defense.
Cooper outgained Abilene High 338-226, but the Eagles came up with a big turnover on downs in their own territory in the first half and forced and recovered a pair of fumbles in the second to make a 14-0 third-quarter lead hold up.
DISTRICT 8-2A DII WEEK 2 REPORT: Santo continues hot start to season as rest of league goes 3-3
Santo 61, Dublin 0 — Jackson McKinnerney ran for 125 yards and two touchdowns and added a 22-yard scoring catch, while Rylan Griffith passed for 59 yards and two scores to help the Wildcats run away from the Lions.
Santo outgained Dublin 405-60, holding the Lions to minus-2 rushing yards on 18 attempts. The Wildcats picked off five passes and forced seven total turnovers in the win.
DISTRICT 7-2A DI WEEK 2 REPORT: San Saba, Coleman, Mason pick up wins as league goes 3-3
San Saba 34, Eastland 19 — Enrique Mendoza ran for 182 yards and two touchdowns to lead a 438-yard rushing effort for the Armadillos in a two-touchdown win.
Jason Everett added 167 yards and two TDs of his own to help San Saba, which finished with 460 total yards in the win.
DISTRICT 4-2A DI WEEK 2 REPORT: Ballinger, Forsan and C-City all victorious in 4-3 week for league
Ballinger 27, Odessa Compass 20 — Brody Wilde had an 89-yard kickoff return touchdown and a 70-yard pick-six to go with 40 yards rushing and 26 yards receiving to power the Bearcats to a hard-fought win over the Cougars.e
Wyatt Clemens added 165 yards and two touchdowns passing, and Hunter Kresta received for 91 yards and a TD as Ballinger made a 21-14 halftime lead hold up in the final two quarters for its second straight win to start the season.
DISTRICT 7-2A DII WEEK 2 REPORT: Goldthwaite, Miles, Albany all notch wins
Goldthwaite 48, Granger 0 — The Eagles (2-0) remained unbeaten with a blowout win at Granger.
Hayess Greenway threw for 261 yards and three TDs and rushed for 115 to lead Goldthwaite, which will face archrival San Saba (1-1) next week.
Granger fell to 1-1.
DISTRICT 5-3A DII WEEK 2 REPORT: Area teams go 0-5 as district drops all but two games
Cisco 38, Comanche 6 — Colby McIlroy passed for 200 yards and two touchdowns and added another score on the ground to fuel the Loboes to a lopsided win over the Indians.
Landry Vosburg added 102 yards and one TD rushing, and Cannon Harris had 84 yards and two TDs receiving to help Cisco, which led 24-6 by halftime.
DISTRICT 3-2A DII WEEK 2 REPORT: Roscoe hurts itself with mistakes in big loss to Forsan, Pathway forced into open week
Forsan 44, Roscoe 19 — Owen Bishop threw for 228 yards and two scores and Ashton Ellis rushed for 168 yards and three TDs to lead Forsan (2-0) over Roscoe.
The Plowboys (0-2) produced 309 total yards, but were crippled by four turnovers.
DISTRICT 6-2A DII WEEK 2 REPORT: Haskell, Windthorst offenses on a roll
Haskell 62, Bangs 44 — Haskell’s offensive explosion continued with a road win at Bangs on Friday night. Through two games, the Indians (1-1) have scored 124 points.
Bangs (1-1) was led by Connor Bible, who rushed for 283 yards and three touchdowns.
DISTRICT 3-3A DII WEEK 2 REPORT: Coahoma shuts out Brownfield for first win; Wink runs away from Stanton
Coahoma 37, Brownfield 0 — Austin Joslin passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns, hitting Austin Molina five times for 110 yards and two of those scores, to lead the Bulldogs to a blowout win over the Cubs.
Coahoma (1-1) also ran for 165 yards, led by Aiden Rodriguez, with 47 yards and a TD on 15 attempts, while Tyler Rechichar (3-51 receiving) added a touchdown catch in the win.
DISTRICT 5-2A DI WEEK 2 REPORT: Hico, Cisco, Hawley, De Leon all victorious
Hico 31, Cross Plains 14 — Tyler Rainwater threw for 201 yards and rushed for 108 with two TDs to lead Hico (2-0) to a win over Cross Plains (1-1).
The Buffaloes were led by William Albrecht, who passed for 96 yards and rushed for 83.
DISTRICT 3-3A DI WEEK 2 REPORT: Wall blasts Class 6A La Joya, Early strong again in blowout of Breckenridge
Wall 55, La Joya 14 — The Hawks went up three classifications and handed the Coyotes a lopsided loss, amassing 482 total yards in a dominating effort.
Gunner King passed for 222 yards and five touchdowns, while Gunner Garza added 127 yards and a TD rushing on just 10 carries and Evan Boehle received for 77 yards and two scores.
DISTRICT 4-3A DII WEEK 2 REPORT: Jacksboro the lone victor in the district, with Breckenridge, Henrietta, Merkel and City View falling
Jacksboro 48, Boyd 24
Hoytt Wesson threw for 141 yards and rushed for 149 while accounting for four touchdowns to help Jacksboro improve to 2-0.
Boyd was limited to 283 total yards, including only 50 on the ground.
DISTRICT 4-4A DII WEEK 2 REPORT: Mineral Wells tops Pilot Point in father-son matchup; Graham rolls
Mineral Wells 24, Pilot Point 19 — Aleck Gonzales ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns and Slade Evans ran for 98 yards and a TD to lead the Rams to a thrilling win over the Bearcats a game dubbed Worrell War 1.
Pitting Mineral Wells coach Cody Worrell against his dad, Pilot Point head man Chad Worrell, the game saw the Rams increase a 7-0 halftime lead to 17-6 in the third quarter and 24-12 in the fourth before holding on for the victory.
DISTRICT 2-3A DI WEEK 2 REPORT: Clyde, Lamesa both score impressive wins
Clyde 55, Tolar 26 — Devan Wright rushed for 127 yards and three scores and threw for 188 yards and two more TDs as Clyde scored an impressive road win at Tolar.
Clyde improved to 2-0 with the win; Tolar dropped to 0-2.
DISTRICT 2-4A DII WEEK 2 REPORT: Andrews rallies past Big Spring; Lake View too much for Snyder
Andrews 42, Big Spring 34 — Tommy Evans ran for 242 yards and four touchdowns, including three in the final 10 minutes, to lead the Mustangs to a remarkable comeback win over the Steers.
Big Spring, which got 172 yards and two touchdowns passing from Javon Jackson and TDs from both its special teams (blocked punt return) and defense (interception return), stretched a 21-14 halftime lead to 34-14 by the 10:26 mark of the fourth quarter. But Andrews, which also got 161 yards rushing from Blas Hernandez, scored the game’s final four touchdowns, taking a 35-34 lead on Evans’ final score with 5:37 to play before icing the game with a Jorge Rodriguez TD run with just under two minutes remaining.
DISTRICT 5-4A DII WEEK 2 REPORT: Glen Rose falls to Gatesville; Hillsboro picks up first win
Gatesville 27, Glen Rose 19 — Glen Rose fell unexpectedly to Gatesville on the road as a 17-point favorite.
The Tigers were led by Judd Connally, who rushed for 31 yards and two TDs and threw for 150.
Both teams levelled off at 1-1.